From Doormat to Doomsday Billionaire!

Chapter 11: You wish

“Lexi, I’m dropping your case!”

Rex Swanson’s voice crackled through the phone. 

Her lawyer was furious.

“How much have you been hiding from me? Do you understand how badly you’ve blindsided me?”

“What are you talking about?” Lexi asked, confused for a moment by what he was talking about.

“Chris isn’t Rhys’s biological son. Is he? It’s all over social media!”

Her eyes darkened. So that’s what this is about.

Lexi drew in a slow breath. She had known it would leak eventually.

“No,” she admitted. “But that has nothing to do with Rhys hiding marital assets—“

“It has everything to do with it now!” Rex cut her off. “I just got a call from your ex-husband’s attorney. Rhys isn’t just defending himself anymore. He’s asking the court to reopen the settlement because you deceived him about paternity. And he’s demanding damages.”

Lexi’s grip tightened on the phone. “What? That pathetic fraudster is doing that? I’m the victim here!" She fumed.

“And do you know who he hired? Joshua Hearn. Top divorce litigator in Sydvale. The man almost never loses.” 

Lexi scoffed. She rolled her eyes. 

“Almost never. “That means he does lose. Or if not, maybe I’ll be his first.”

“This isn’t the case you hired me for, Lexi. My f*e is going up.”

There it is. All that drama, just to haggle.

When he named the new number, her jaw clenched. It was a lot more than they had agreed on.

But compared to twelve million dollars, it was pocket change.

“Fine. I’ll pay you.” she hissed through her teeth.

As long as she got her half, she’d pay anything.

She hung up and stared at the screen, irritation boiling in her chest as the call ended.

***

At noon, Rhys looked at the clock and realized he hadn’t slept at all.

He had been building his shopping list since yesterday. Food. Medicine. Fuel. Equipment. Tools. Every time he thought he was finished, another line appeared in his head.

At last he leaned back, rubbed his eyes, stretched, and felt every hour in his spine. He saved the file, and headed downstairs for food.

The elevator stopped two floors down. A familiar silhouette suddenly stepped in.

“Oh, Rhys!”

Mrs. Dawson. His neighbor at Maple Grove.

Her face lit up like a lighthouse.

“When are you going to meet my Jenna? She’s pretty, she’s sweet, she has a great job, she’s so family-oriented. You two would be perfect together.”

Rhys felt a headache bloom.

All week, women up and down Maple Grove had been pushing daughters, sisters, nieces, cousins at him. 

Newly divorced and suddenly rich had turned him into the neighborhood’s hottest commodity overnight.

Then the doors opened and Rhys stepped out quickly.

“Rhys! You still haven’t saved her number!”

“Next time!” he called without turning.

Only when he reached the fresh air did he slow down.

They really care so much about marrying off their relatives, but in three months time, nobody here would care about marriages anymore. They would only care about heat and water and whether they’d live to see tomorrow.

He shut his eyes briefly as horrors of his past life flashed before him. It really was a dark time.

He walked toward the main neighborhood gate and ran straight into the Stowes!

Michael, Britt, Henry, Lexi, and Chris. All heading out for lunch like a family of crows.

Chris saw him first. The boy pointed and clapped.

“Son of a bitch! It’s the son of a bitch!”

A week ago, Rhys was ‘Daddy.’

It didn’t take a genius to guess who had taught him that word.

Michael’s face darkened. He marched forward and jabbed a finger an inch from Rhys’s nose.

“Listen to me, you son of a bitch. Hiding twelve million in marital assets is a crime. You could go to prison for that.”

“Is that right?” Rhys almost laughed.

He had never understood men like Michael. They wanted something to be true so badly they said it with enough confidence and waited for reality to bend.

Rhys pulled out his phone.

“What are you doing?” Michael snapped.

Rhys dialed Joshua right in front of them.

As soon as Joshua answered, Rhys spoke.

“Mr. Hearn, quick question. Someone just told me that hiding marital assets automatically means prison. Is that right?”

He listened for a few seconds. Then he hung up.

“My lawyer says no.” Rhys looked at Michael. “The world doesn’t bend to whatever you say, old man.”

“Y—you—“ Michael seethed.

“He did mention one thing, though. Threatening someone with criminal charges just to scare them can get you in trouble. So maybe watch your bloody mouth next time.” Rhys smiled faintly

Michael trembled with rage.

“Don’t talk to my dad like that!” Henry shoved forward, rolling up his sleeves.

He took one step and stopped.

All bark and no bite. He didn’t dare throw the punch

“Enough!”

Lexi’s voice cut in. Of all the Stowes, she was still the best at keeping her temper.

“Enjoy it while it lasts, Rhys. Swagger all you want. But once the court rules that the money you’re burning is marital property, and it will, you’ll hand over half. No matter how big it is.” She stated.

Rhys stared at her.

Then he laughed. 

“What’s so funny?” she snapped.

“Nothing.” He shook his head. “It’s just… you all want to know how much I have, don’t you?”

Their composure cracked. Rhys watched the greed crawl across all four of their faces. Slow, hungrily and shamelessly.

Of course they wanted to know. Twelve million had already turned them into animals. If there was more…they wanted it.

For themselves.

Rhys smiled. He shook his head again, this time, in deep pity. 

“You wish.” Rhys calmly stated.

For one heartbeat, none of them moved. They just stared at him, processing the blow he had dealt them with his words.

And as though they were possessed by something, all four of them started screaming together, all at once!

“RHYS!! HOW DARE YOU!!!”